Apparatus for playing miniature golf

ABSTRACT

A ball driving unit, comprising a gun and a trigger-actuated club, is mounted to travel horizontally on the top of a rotatable stand. The club is suspended from the top of the stand and arranged to drive golf balls to the gun&#39;&#39;s point of aim.

United Patent Inventor 7 Henry E. Llppert 130.S.W.' Twelfth St., Miami, Fla. 33130 849.691 Aug. 13. 1969 Aug. 10., 1971 Appl. No. Filed Patented APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 273/129, 273/872 Int. Cl. A63b 71/00 Field olSearch 273/872,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,184 5/1938 lleinzelmann 273/129x Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown ABSTRACT: A ball driving unit, comprising a gun and a trigger-actuated club, is mounted to travel horizontally on the top of a rotatable stand. The club is suspended from the top of the stand and arranged to drive golf balls to the gun's point of arm.

PATENTEU AUG 1 0 IBYI w UW INVENTOR.

APPARATUS FOR PLAYING MINIATURE GOLF This invention relates to apparatus for driving golf balls, for use in a game of miniature golf.

In devices of this type, it is the common practice to provide a ball driving unit on a support or stand of some kind. The ball-driving unit and the stand are usually built together and it is necessary that they be used in conjunction with each other.

In .the present invention, the ball-driving unit and the stand are separate parts, and the driving unit can be used with or without the stand. With the apparatus herein described, the game can be made relatively easy if the stand is used, or comparatively difficuit if the stand is not used.

When the stand is used, the ball-driving unit is not only supported on it, but the golf club of the driving unit can be guided, because of the special design of the stand. This mounting and construction almost assures a true and accurate drive of the ball.

Using the ball-driving unit by itself, makes the game more difficult to play, because the unit must be held by one hand, slightly above the floor on which the game is played, while the other hand pulls the trigger of the gun to actuate the golf club. The player not only actuates the driving unit, but supports it as well. Hence, the game becomes more difficuit to play, but to most players it also becomes much more interesting, particularly after it has been mastered without the use of the stand.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part hereof:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention, with parts broken away,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the invention, also with parts broken away, and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

In the drawing, a support stand is designated as a whole by the numeral 10, and a ball-driving unit is designated as a whole by the numeral 11. The stand comprises, generally speaking, four legs 12 fixedly joined together at their upper ends by a U-shaped horizontally disposed top piece 13, and a roller l4 pivotally mounted on the bottom end of each leg. Rollers 14 are equally spaced from each other, and'arrangcd so that the stand 10 can be rotated about a central vertical axis 15. The axis of each roller 14 lies in a common horizontal plane, and each roller axis extended, will intersect vertical axis 15.

The U-shaped top 13 is closed at its front end 16, but is open at its rear end 17 for withdrawal, and insertion, of the ball-driving unit 11. Top piece 13 is provided on its top surface with a pair of spaced rails 18, upon which the ball-driving unit 11 is arranged to set.

The ball-driving unit 11 consists of, primarily, a more or less vertically disposed yoke 19, an imitation gun 20 pivoted at 21 to the upper end of the yoke 19, and a club 22 pin pivoted at 23 to the lower end of the yoke 19. The gun 20 has a recess 24 at its underside, a handle 25, a barrel 26, and a trigger 27 pivoted at 28 to the body of the gun. The club 22 hangs downwardly from pivot 23, it passes through the U-shaped top 13 of the stand, and terminates at its lower end in a head 29, slightly above a horizontal surface or floor 30. When the balldriving unit l1 isplaced on the rails 18, the club 22 assumes a vertical position and functions to counterbalance the entire ball-driving unit. The club '22 is square in cross-sectional shape, and its sides fit closely to the inside faces 46 of the U- shaped top 13, so that'the club can be guided by the top 13 of the stand.

A few practice shots by a player of the game, can readily determine just how far a ball 3i should be spaced forward of the club head. in order to get the best results. An indicator 32 has been provided, and his adjustable in the club 22. The indicator 32 has a pointer 33'on its front end. After the best location of the ball, with reference to the club 29, has been determined. the pointer 33 can be positioned directly over the center of the ball, and the position of the indicator 32 can be fixed on the club, by tightening a setscrew 34.

The club 22 extends upwardly from pivot 23, and terminates within the recess 24'of the gun. Linkage 35, within the recess 24, is pivoted at 36 to the club 22, and is pivoted at 37 to the trigger 27 of the gun, to operatively connect the trigger with the club. A tension spring 38 is connected at 39 to the top of club 22, and is connected at 40 to the body of the gun. Spring 38 maintains the club 22, the gun 20 and the yoke I9 in a normally fixed relationship, when there is no finger pressure onthetrigger27.

The yoke 19 consists of two elongated upright side portions 41, and a crossbar 42 connecting the side portions. The gun 20 is disposed between the side portions 41 of the yoke, and the club 22 is arranged in the same vertical plane as the gun.

A roller 43 is mounted on pivot pin 23 at each side of club 22, and between the side portions 41 of the yoke 19. Rollers 43 are free to turn on the pivot pin, and they align vertically with the rails 18 of the stand. The ball-driving unit II can thus move longitudinally on the stand when a player of the game, with a hand on the gun handle 25, so desires.

One end 44 of pivot pin 23 is extended, and provided with threads. A hand grip or handle 45 is tightened on the threaded end 44 ofthe pivot pin, and thereby fixed to the yoke 19.

To use both units of this apparatus, the ball-driving unit is first placed on the stand, the club passing through the open end of the U-shaped top 13 of the stand, and the rollers 43 setting on the rails 18 of the stand. Assuming a player of the game has a hand on the handle 25 of the gun, and lateral adjustment is required to align the gun barrel with a ball receptacle (not shown). The gun can swing in a horizontal plane, because the stand 10 can rotate about a vertical axis. The sides of the club 22 engage the inside faces 46 of the U-shaped top 13 of the stand, and this engagement can cause the stand to rotate.

To use the ball-driving unit by itself, without the stand, one hand ofa player of the game takes hold of hand grip 45 to support the unit slightly above a floor, and with the club head spaced a short distance behind a ball previously placed on the floor. Then, with his other hand holding the gun handle 25, the gunis aimed at a ball receptacle The player pulls the trigger of the gun and the club will swing forward, by means of linkage 35, and strike the ball and drive the ball in the direction ofthe point of aim of the gun. But for a straight and true drive, the ball-driving unit must be held in a relatively stationary position by the player of the game.

I claim:

1. Ball-driving apparatus comprising, an elevated rail, support means for said rail, a club, a simulated gun with a trigger, a yoke, means swingably mounting said gun on said yoke, means swingably mounting said club on said yoke, and means connecting said club and said trigger so that operation of said trigger will swing said club, and said yoke being arranged to move on said rail.

2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition ofa roller on saidyoke engaging said rail.

3. Ball-driving apparatus comprising, a unit having a pair of spaced elevated rails, and support means for said rails, a second unit having a club, a simulated gun with a trigger, a yoke means swingably mounting said gun on said yoke, means swingably mounting said club on said yoke, means connecting said club and said trigger so that operation of said trigger will swing said club. and a pair of rollers carried by said yoke, said rollers being arranged to travel on said rails.

4. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said club passes between said rails and can be guided by them.

5. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said rails can rotate about a vertical axis.

6. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said club functions as a counterbalance for said second named unit, when the latter is placed on the rails of said first-named unit.

7. In a game of miniature golf, ball-driving apparatus comprising, a vertically disposed yoke, a simulated gun pivoted to the upper end of said yoke, said gun having a handle and a trigger, a club pivoted to the lower end of said yoke and extending downwardly therefrom, said gun and said club being arranged to swing in the same plane, means connecting said trigger with the upper end of said club whereby operation of said trigger will pivot said club, and a handgrip connected to said yoke, so that the apparatus may be held by one hand of a player of the game, while the other hand of the player is free to pull said trigger to swing said club in the direction in which said gun is aimed.

8. The subject matter set forth in claim 7, wherein said 

1. Ball-driving apparatus comprising, an elevated rail, support means for said rail, a club, a simulated gun with a trigger, a yoke, means swingably mounting said gun on said yoke, means swingably mounting said club on said yoke, and means connecting said club and said trigger so that operation of said trigger will swing said club, and said yoke being arranged to move on said rail.
 2. The subject matter set forth in claim 1, with the addition of a roller on said yoke engaging said rail.
 3. Ball-driving apparatus comprising, a unit having a pair of spaced elevated rails, and support means for said rails, a second unit having a club, a simulated gun with a trigger, a yoke means swingably mounting said gUn on said yoke, means swingably mounting said club on said yoke, means connecting said club and said trigger so that operation of said trigger will swing said club, and a pair of rollers carried by said yoke, said rollers being arranged to travel on said rails.
 4. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said club passes between said rails and can be guided by them.
 5. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said rails can rotate about a vertical axis.
 6. The subject matter set forth in claim 3, wherein said club functions as a counterbalance for said second named unit, when the latter is placed on the rails of said first-named unit.
 7. In a game of miniature golf, ball-driving apparatus comprising, a vertically disposed yoke, a simulated gun pivoted to the upper end of said yoke, said gun having a handle and a trigger, a club pivoted to the lower end of said yoke and extending downwardly therefrom, said gun and said club being arranged to swing in the same plane, means connecting said trigger with the upper end of said club whereby operation of said trigger will pivot said club, and a handgrip connected to said yoke, so that the apparatus may be held by one hand of a player of the game, while the other hand of the player is free to pull said trigger to swing said club in the direction in which said gun is aimed.
 8. The subject matter set forth in claim 7, wherein said handgrip is mounted at one of the pivot points of said yoke.
 9. The subject matter set forth in claim 7, with the addition of means for maintaining a fixed relationship between said gun and said club, when no finger pressure is on said trigger.
 10. The subject matter set forth in claim 7, with the addition of a ball locating indicator mounted on said club. 